Image-capturing apparatus and image-capturing system

摘要

The present invention prevents units from becoming unbalanced and falling over when an image-capturing unit is opened over an image-forming unit when an image-forming unit, image-capturing unit and document-feeding unit are stacked over each other in order. The image-capturing unit is rotatably linked to the top of the image-forming unit by a first hinge means, and the document-feeding unit having document-feeding means is rotatably linked to the top of the image-capturing unit by second hinge means. Locking means for checking rotation (opening operation of the document-feeding unit) of the second hinge means is disposed on an opposite side of the second hinge means sandwiching the document-feeding means. The locking means is composed to check the opening operation of the second hinge means when the first hinge means is opened.

主权项

1. An image-capturing device for disposal over an image-forming unit, and furnished with an image-capturing unit for capturing image information from original documents and with a document-feeding unit, disposed over the image-capturing unit and including a document-conveyance means, for conveying the documents in a document-conveyance direction, the image-capturing device comprising:
first hinge means for supporting the image-capturing unit on, to enable the image-capturing unit to open/close against, the image-forming unit along a back side of the image-capturing device; second hinge means for supporting the document-feeding unit on, to enable the document-feeding unit to open/close against, the image-capturing unit along the back side of the image-capturing device; and locking means, disposed along a front side of the image-capturing device, in a location flanking the document-conveyance means, for interlocking the image-capturing unit with the document-feeding unit so that the document-feeding unit does not come open when the image-capturing unit is opened against the image-forming unit, the locking means including
a locking mechanism,a locking-mechanism opening formed in an upper side of the image-capturing unit and extending in the document-conveyance direction, in order for the locking mechanism to interlock the image-capturing unit with the document-feeding unit,an openable/closable cover shiftable between an uncovering position in which the locking-mechanism opening in the upper side of the image-capturing unit is exposed, and a shutting position in which the locking-mechanism opening is covered,a sliding member configured to move in response to the image-capturing unit opening/closing, anda transmission member for transmitting motion of the sliding member to a movable interlocking member thereby locking/unlocking the image-capturing unit with the document-feeding unit, wherein the locking means shifts the openable/closable cover into the uncovering position when the image-capturing unit and the document-feeding unit are interlocked by the locking mechanism, and the locking means shifts the openable/closable cover into the shutting position when the image-capturing unit and the document-feeding unit are released.